Now you know some good reasons why you should start before you’re ready and Kerry gave you a breathing technique and an exercise to help you get in the zone to start before you’re ready! If you missed either of them, click here to check out my post and here to check out Kerry’s.

There are some key areas that I see makers avoid starting all the time. No judgement, I’ve been one of them! Starting something new, especially in your carefully created handmade biz, can be scary and super intimidating.

Avoiding trying new things in your business might feel nice for a while, but in the long run it could be the death of your business.

Over the next couple of months I’ll be diving deep into the 6 key areas that I see makers avoid the most. I’m going to give you the support you need to start before you’re ready on the following topics:

– Social Media

– Building your own website

– Starting a newsletter

– Wholesale

– Blogging

– Hiring

Each of these areas will most likely force you out of your comfort zone in some way and into being more authentic and open in front of your audience. So, it’s no surprise that these 6 areas are some of the most commonly avoided by makers, this stuff can be scary!

Take a deep breath, I’m going to walk you through each one of these areas and tell you exactly how to start before you’re ready in each category.

Let’s jump in! Embrace the uncomfortableness of the unknown as we get started with the first topic I see makers avoid totally or avoid taking seriously: social media.

On your long maker to-do list social media might be the farthest thing from your mind. Maybe you’re avoiding it completely or have a personal page that you randomly share your products on.

If you’re avoiding social media you could be missing a treasure trove of your ideal customers that are ready to buy.

Social media doesn’t have to be a chore, and you absolutely do not need to take on more than you can commit to.

Here are 4 steps to start before you’re ready with social media, you might be surprised how easy and fun it can be!

Step 1: The snowball effect

Start with one social media platform. If you already have some, but aren’t really taking them seriously, pick one to focus on. Once you have one mastered and running like a well oiled machine, move onto the next one, and repeat with as many platforms as you’d like!

I know what you’re thinking…

“How do I know which social media platform is right for me to start with? “

Answer these questions to find out.

Where do your ideal customers hang out?

What social media platform do you enjoy the most?

What social media platform is easiest for you to commit to using on a regular basis?

What social media platform works best for your business budget right now?

The platform you answered the most questions with is your starting point. Don’t even worry about the others yet.

Step 2: Commit to a posting schedule

Repeat after me: I do not have to post on social media everyday unless I want to.

I talk to so many makers that say they can’t do social media because they don’t have time to do it everyday.

This is not a good excuse.

So, right here, right now, commit to a posting schedule that works for you. 3 posts per week is a good minimum to start.

3 per week/ 12 monthly

4 per week/ 16 monthly

5 per week/ 20 monthly

6 per week/ 24 monthly

Everyday/ 28-31 monthly

Step 3: Batch and schedule

The key to your time quandary: batching and scheduling. Schedule a couple hours a month to take all of your social media pictures for the month and schedule them out.

How much time do you spend a day thinking about all of the social media related things you should be doing. If you’re like me, WAY TOO MUCH. Haha! Batching and scheduling out my social media posts changed my world. It was one huge thing that was completely off my daily to-do list.

Some social media platforms allow you to schedule posts in advance for free, like Facebook and Twitter. Scheduling for Instagram and Pinterest isn’t built into their platforms so you’ll need to purchase a third party app.

Many of these scheduling apps are affordable and easy to use. Here’s a list of awesome scheduling programs to get you started:

Step 4: Prop bag

Your next question, “What do I take pictures of?”.

This is my favorite part about social media! Creating your prop bag is your opportunity to express your brand in another way outside of your products which is a great opportunity to be creative in another way, and it might even involve some tax write off shopping.

Side note: Make sure you’re crystal clear on your branding before committing to a crazy big prop arsenal.

With a prop bag in hand taking a pictures of your products, completed or in process, will be a breeze and on brand. At woo woo central, aka Zenned Out, our prop bag includes a multitude of crystals, smudge sticks, oracle cards, and minimal backgrounds. A good way to brainstorm good props for your brand is to ask yourself “What kind of products would your ideal customer have in their house as decoration?”.

Now you have all of the tools you need to seriously commit to one social media platform of your choice. My hope is that I’ve taken some of the guess work out of getting started with taking social media seriously and that you might even be a little bit excited about it!Have a question? Let me know in the comments below! Already have a solid social media commitment? Comment below with your favorite tips for getting started.